The Cottage is a comedic play written by American playwright Sandy Rustin.[1] The play opened on Broadway on July 24, 2023, at the Hayes Theater after first being produced by Astoria Performing Arts Center in 2013.[2] Set in England, the play has been described as a modern take on a Noël Coward comedy.[3][4]
| The Cottage | |
|---|---|
| Written by | Sandy Rustin |
| Date premiered | 2013 |
| Place premiered | Astoria Performing Arts Center |
| Original language | English |
| Subject | Period |
| Genre | Comedy |
| Setting | Moreton-in-Marsh, 1923 |
Synopsis
editThe true meaning of fate, identity, and marriage are called into question as a surprising, hilarious web of secrets unravels in this ridiculous - potentially murderous - uncharacteristically feminist, 1923 British tale of sex, betrayal, and oh yes, love ... when Sylvia Van Kipness decides to expose her love affair to her husband and her lover's wife.
Original cast and characters
edit| Character | Astoria[5] | Theatre Aspen[6] | Engeman[7] | Broadway[8] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2023 | |
| Sylvia Van Kipness | Amy Rutberg | Nancy Anderson | Rachel Pickup | Laura Bell Bundy |
| Marjorie | Maria Couch | Michele Ragusa | Christiane Noll | Lilli Cooper |
| Beau | Jason Loughlin | Spencer Plachy | Henry Clarke | Eric McCormack |
| Richard | Daniel Bielinski | Michael Kostroff | Brian Sgambati | Nehal Joshi |
| Clarke | Kevin Isola | Mark Price | James LaVerdiere | Alex Moffat |
| Deirdre | Hanley Smith | Bailey Frankenburg | Lilly Tobin | Dana Steingold |
Production history
editThe play was first staged by Astoria Performing Arts Center in 2013, with Amy Rutberg portraying Sylvia. This was followed by several professional productions including by Theatre Aspen in 2014.[9] It was next produced at the John W. Engeman Theater in Northport, New York in 2015. A 2017 production was held at the Barter Theatre.[10][11] In 2019, it was produced by Florida Studio Theatre in Sarasota, Florida.[12]
The play opened on Broadway at the Helen Hayes Theatre on July 24, 2023, after beginning previews on July 7. The Broadway production was directed by Jason Alexander and closed October 29, 2023. The set design was by Paul Tate dePoo III with costumes by Sydney Maresca.[13]
References
edit- ^ "About". SandyRustin.com. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
- ^ Travers, Andrew (15 August 2014). "The end of the affair(s)". The Aspen Times. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
- ^ Collins-Hughes, Laura (5 July 2023). "How to Squeeze a Feminist Farce Into an English Country House". The New York Times. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
- ^ Hetrick, Adam (7 November 2013). "World-Premiere Comedy The Cottage Begins Queens Engagement Nov. 7". Playbill. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
- ^ Zimmerman, Kevin (14 November 2013). "Check into 'The Cottage' for some oh so civilized laughter". QNS. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
- ^ "The Huffington Post: 'Cottage' the Place for Summer Theatre in Aspen". Theatre Aspen. 7 August 2014. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
- ^ Wiener, Iris (26 August 2015). "Christiane Noll Gets Belly Laughs in The Cottage". TheaterMania. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
- ^ Gans, Andrew (16 February 2023). "Eric McCormack, Lilli Cooper, and Laura Bell Bundy Will Return to Broadway in The Cottage". Playbill. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
- ^ Gans, Andrew (24 July 2014). "Nancy Anderson, Michele Ragusa, Mark Price and More Inhabit The Cottage; Don Stephenson Directs". Playbill. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
- ^ "Betrayal, Sex and Love Fill Barter's Production of THE COTTAGE". BroadwayWorld. 30 May 2017. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
- ^ Jacobson, Aileen (8 August 2015). "Review: 'The Cottage' in Northport Is a Saucy Farce". The New York Times. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
- ^ Kipling, Kay (4 August 2019). "Florida Studio Theatre Gets All Sexy in The Cottage". Sarasota Magazine. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
- ^ DiLella, Frank (18 July 2023). "Laura Bell Bundy & Lilli Cooper on Spending Their Summer in The Cottage". Broadway Direct. Retrieved 3 August 2023.